Standing By

Decoding and Creating

"Thanks for the offer, though." Scott looked aggravated at himself. "It was my fault."

"Yeah it was," Kirstie had to agree with a giggle. "So have you managed to untwist your boxers and reverted to the the normal Scott we know and love?"

"I think so," he said, sticking his hand down the back of his pants as if to check. "Yep, they're laying flat and straight now."

We all giggled at him.

"I've got an unsweet," Adam said, pushing his own cup at the three of them. "I'll be perfectly content filling an empty cup with water."

"You sure?" Mitch asked, then accepted it when he nodded. "That's awfully sweet of you, Adam."

"No problem," he said easily as a janitor with a big mop and bucket came up behind us.

"I got this," he said, extracting his mop.

"Wha?" Adam asked, taking a step backwards and landing with a splash right in the bucket. "Gahh!"

Austin, Rob, Kirstie, and I all lost it at that point, seeing poor Adam sitting in the bucket of water, arms and legs kicking. The four of us leaned into each other, trying to hold each other up as we laughed.

"Uh... help," I heard Adam say in a tiny voice, the janitor now shouting, "Oh my God! I'm so—oh no, I'm sorry, so sorry, didn't mean to—"

I finally peeled my head off of Rob's shoulder, down to a more controlled laughter. Scott was hiding behind his hands, as if that'd conceal his laughter. Chance was helping to pull him out, trying but failing to suppress a grin. Mitch was nowhere to be seen.

Having gotten ourselves somewhat together, Rob, Austin, Kirstie, and I stepped apart, Adam now dripping in a corner and tugging at his pants.

Scott pulled his hands away from his face. "Oh my God. Where's Mitch?"

"Beats the hell out of me." Chance wiped at his own wet arms.

"You OK, Adam?" Rob finally thought to ask, still giggling. "Sorry for laughing at you, but I couldn't help it."

He shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. Just a bit soggy here."

"Speaking of Soggy Bottom Boys...," I said slyly, making Adam, Austin, and Chance laugh.

" 'I am a man of constant sorrow'," Adam sang, swaying his 'soggy bottom' around, sprinkling the floor around him.

The janitor reached out and held him still. "Stop."

Mitch came around the corner with two nurses, all three carrying a stack of towels, and he was laughing and flirting with both of them. Why the hell a gay gay was flirting with two female nurses was beyond me. Granted, the blonde was hot...

"Towels!" he said cheerfully, a towel draped over his tea-drenched shirt. "Who needs a towel?"

"Oh, you're wet!" the brunette, who was pretty damn cute herself, observed and handed Chance one.

Eyes widening, he took it a little too quickly. "Thank you! I was, ah, you know, helping my friend out of the, ahh..."

"Psst, gimme your drink—I wanna pour it on me," Austin hissed, eyes never leaving the brunette.

"It's getting kinda hot in here, isn't it?" I noted, watching the blonde try to help dry Adam off. Even he, though married, didn't seem immune to the nurses' effect, laughing and making small talk, winking at her. Yeah. He was flirting. Note to self: tease him relentlessly later.

"Why don't we...," the blonde said, still rubbing at his ass. "Linzi, I'm gonna take him to the lounge and see if we can find him something; we can't have him sitting around in sopping wet clothes."